Device for regulating the height of masher arms



` Aug. 14, 1945. R. c. sci-lock 2,382,254

`DEVICE FOR REG'UJT:|NG' THE HEIGHT 0F MASHERVARMS I Filed March 2, 1944 ,a f mm. mi B M Mm. mm ma i im z mf MMM 5 ,w z e i. mm l 7 1 ,7 AS a N05 f 0V MMM www? 0 w ziirl l f 2 .l om# f Aam. .n m. m mf. f m ma. ,mw ,M i@

Patented Aug. 14, 1945 p ,p """Uaaszlzsr L DEVICE Fon HEGULATING THE HEIGHT y MASHER ARMSV Hubert c. shock; New Rochelle, N. "Y',,

to Schock, Gusmer & Co. In'c., Hoboken, i corporation 'of NewV Jersey assignor N`.J., a

f Application March 2, 1944*,Serial No. 524,762

This invention relates to mash or lauter or the like machines and more particularly to themechanism for raising and lowering the masher` arms utilized to support knives or the like used in the treatment of the mash. l

At the present time hydraulic mechanism has been generally used for this purpose but this has many disadvantages. l

Theinventionhasforaniobject to provide mechanism to take the place of such hydraulic mechanism and to provide a more efficient mechanism having the advantages hereinafter pointed out.

The invention -consists of a mechanism for the raising or lowering of` arms for the knives, which mechanism embodies a centrally disposed rotating shaft supported at its lower end upon the foundation, extending upwardly through the bottom of the tank to above the level of the mash in the tank, around which shaft an upper sleeve, in turn supporting the arms, rotates, `which sleeve is raised or lowered by another and lower sleeve extending through the bottom of the tank, below which bottom, mechanism for raising or lowering the second sleeve is provided, both sleeves being capable o-f vertical shifting along the central shaft, while it is rotating. By the central shaft acting as the central member, the other parts described surround the same while disposed at different parts of its length, whereby a structure simple in mechanical installation, access, repair, etc. results. Most important is the direct mechanical action resulting, always preferable to those requiring hydraulic controls.

The central shaft is rotatable and non-shiftable, the upper sleeve is rotatable and shiftable, the lower sleeve is non-rotatable and shift-able, and the bottom of the tank is non-rotatable and shiftable.

The invention will be further described, an embodiment thereof pointed out in the drawing andthe invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of my improvement,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on lines 2-2 of Fig. 1, and f Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts. I

Referring to the drawing', the central rotating shaft I0 is supported upon the foundation I2 through the intermediary of a bearing support I I. Upon this support II, vertical standards I3 are also supported, which in turn support the bottom I5 ofthe tank.` Suchtanksare well known and the drawing simply indicates in dotted lines the usualtank. Preferably four standards I3 are employed although this number may vary. The bottom I5 has a central opening I6 and upon the bottomza plate I'I rests, which also has a central opening I8, and upon the plate I'I a cylindrical support I9 rests which'has internal liquid proof packings or bearings 20. `Supported by the lower side of the plate II is a casingiZI having an in.- terior harige 22 with an internal gland 22a. and having a bottom plate 23,` which has acutout 24 to permit-the placing of a friction bearing 25. The plate 23 has a central opening 26,V of substantially the same diameter as the diameterof thefiangeZZ. The bottom plate 23 of the casing supports a depending :cylindrical casing 21,`

the bottom of which has acentral` opening 28, substantially the ldiameter Aof the shaft I0, with the provision of aliquid or oil leakage proof seal 30. Within the casing 21 is a Sleeve 29 `which extends upwardly through the tank opening, and then supports the upper sleeve 43. t

Within the casing 2I is a worm gear 3l having curved teeth 32 at its periphery meshing with a worm spindle 33, rotated on its axis by any suitable means, as a handwheel or power connection. The worm gear 3l has a hub 34, the .Ibore of which is provided with interior screw threads 36, meshing with exterior screw' threads 3l on the exterior of the sleeve 29,. The exterior screw threads 31 extend to the lower end of the sleeve 29, where the sleeve almost abuts against the bottom of the depending cylindrical casing21. The sleeve 29 at its free upper end has an outwardly extending flange 38 and an interior .cut-

` out portion 39 for the glands 4I). The upper end of the sleeve 29 supports the sleeve 43 through 5a friction bearing 4I, which in turn supports an inverted cup 42, having above it the sleeve 43. The upper sleeve 43 has its bore provided with a longitudinal slot 45, adapted to be engaged by a key 46 secured to the shaft `I 0. This permits rst the upward or downward movement of the sleeve 43 in respect to the shaft IIJ and assures the sleeve 43 rotating upon the rotation of the shaft I0.

Suitably secured or cast integrally with the sleeve 43 is a bracket 48, which supports the radial masher arms not shown as well known and which extend from 48a. To operate the devices supported by the masher arms, the lower ends of the supports 48 support an operating shaft 49 which has a conical gearwheel 5I, which meshes with a nonrotating conical gear 52 supshown as known to the ported by the cylindrical support I9, which gear 52 has a central bore for the passage of the sleeve 29.

The shaft IIJ as seen forms the central member and is free from all load and rests upon the support Il. The load of the masher arms and operating shafts is taken up by the sleeve 29 and s in turn by the threads 36 and 31, and these being considerable in number distribute the load per surface area. Such load is supported by the tankv and the standards I 3, and not by the shaft.

The mash arm or appurtenant-mechanism are'.

readily raised or lowered by the operation ofthe worm spindle 33, and no part of this effortis transposed to the shaft l0. The worm'spindle 33 acts as a safety locking device, since it does: i

not rotate upon any downward pressure being applied to the sleeve29. i

departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the Lscope of the following claim.

Sometimes the masher arm is combinedy with the shaft 49. These features of masher arm, operating shaft, whether combined or separate, are well known.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The shaft I-ll is rotated by suitable means, not art, and thev tank being partially lled with its batchof mash, has the mash arm lauter knives, for example,` move in a circular path through` the mash. When it is desired to remove knives from the batchthey are raised: above the level of the-mash. B11-,t this raising and lowering is carried) out by a simple mechanical and positively acting mechanism herebefore described insteadI ofsby a hydraulic mechanism as heretofore known. This is brought about by the operation of the handwheel, which actuates the worm and` the wormgear. The rotationof the gear rotates the screw threaded sleeve and thereby raises the screw threadedl sleeve which in turn raises the upper'sleeve which supports the mash' arms. The lowering/takes place by moving thevworm in the opposite direction.'`

The improvement is shown in 'Figurer 3- inwhich the cooperative parts are shownonly diagramu matically, theA tank being non-rotatable andver What I claim is: In a device for regulating the height of masher `.arms of mash machines having a tank, the com- Y vbination of a rotatable and vertically stationary shaft of the same diameter throughout, an upper sleeve surrounding'the upper part of said shaft for supporting the mash arms and'keyed to the shaft to permit vertical shifting on the shaft and rotation with the shaft, a lower sleeve surrounding the lower.' part of thesha-ftnon-rotatable in respect tothe shaft and vertically shiitable on the shaft andv supporting the upper' sleeve, both of said sleeves having bores substantially of the same diameter as the diameter of the shaft, and being verticallyl unsupported by said shaft, external screwthreads surrounding the lower part of said lower sleeve, a worm gear having a bore with interior serewthreads meshing with said external screwthreads and having external peripheral screwthreads, av wormfor engaging said peripheral screwthreads, a horizontal stationary wall disposed below the upper sleeve and disposed above the worm gear and worm, the shaft and lower sleeve extending from' below the wall to above the same, and means below the wall for supportingr said worm gear and worm below and on the lower part of the wall, whereby upon the rotationV of the worm the mash arms supported bythe upper sleeve are'` raisedor lowered without vertically shiftingth'e` shaft.

ROBERT C. SCHOCK. 

